Fruit-crate.



PATBNTED JAN. 30, 1906.

J. SHELLENBERGER.

FRUIT CRATE.

with the crate ends in their tlat or lflloclittldown condition.

The (lot sheet or series ol i slats is then bent around three edges of each crate end to form. two sides and the bottom of the crate, and, if desired, the flat sheet or series can be formed s'u'tliciently long orof a suilicient number of slats to also bend over and form the crate-top. The slats arefirmly nailed to the crate ends, the nails passing through the end battensand slat ends into the edges of the frames of the crate ends, forming a strong construction. The battens bend along the transverse bending-lines 5, which are located at the. outer edges of the crate-bottom and the lower edges of the crate sides. The wires 6 extend throughout the length of each batten, down one crate side, across the cratebottom, and up the other crate side, and hence said wires bridge or extend across the bends or breaks in the battens at the junctions between the sides and bottom. The cratebottom is thus secured by the wires on the. battens to the sides against such loosening or downward bulging as to ierinit leakage of the fruit even though the bottom is impeni cctl nailed to the crate ends. The wires on the attons will also hold the sides a ainst complete separation from the crate w on a side is pried of? to permit inspection and will also hold the side against springing out at the lover ed e if int ert'ec-tly nailed to the crate ends. "file sta lbs or other means securin the Wires to t c battens can also ext-en through and secure the bat-tensto the slats. The slats are preferably spaced to afford openings for ventilation, and the battens not only protect the slots and form a strong structure, but they cooperate with the wires in forming a most durable and efi'ective crate for the purposes intended. The battens having the weakened bendingdines bend at, the junctions between the sides and bottom and form strob right-angle corners or joints between the sides and bottom, and the middle or inter- .niodiato batten and its wire hold the central portions oi tho sidcsand bottom against bulg mg and avoid the necessity of nailing the crate fidos to the edges of the crate-bottom. Each transverse or cross out 5 extends almost; throu h the batten-so about threefourths of t a distance throng i the battenand the sides of the out are arranged aboutat right angles to each othr. Hence when the-batten is bent at right angles the walls of the ti cub-will come together, formin what might be termed a; finder-joint. be extre'me bottom of the out is usually somewhat roundingand a sufficient thickness of tho bat-ten is left at the bottom of the out to perfrom one side of the bend to the other. The.

several wires also form flexible connections between the sides and bottom on which a side can swing when loosened and swungfrom the crate during inspection and which aid in pre- 'ent ing the battens brcakin through when a side is swung open and which also uphold the bottom in the event that one or more battens do break tlriough at the cuts. The middle batten and its wire, in connection with the end battens, firmly uphold the crate-bottom I and prevent vertical springing or vibration of the central portion of the bot-tom, which in the crates commonly used causes 1n]ury to the fruit located over the central portion of the crate-bottom.

The wires are not employed to mercly strengthen or brace the crate, but cooperate with the battens to bridge the cut bent portions thcrem and uphold the crat-bottomand provide flexible connections for the sides t u hen opened for inspection.

What I claim is-- The term wire isemployed herein to include cordv and equivalent flexible binding material. i

heads, longitudinal-spaced bottom an side,

slats secured to said and heads, op osite end and intermediate iai'allel battens tting the outer faces of said side and bottom slats and bent trans versely to extend from the bottom slats upwardly across the side slats, and wires arranged longitudinally along the outer faces of said battens and secured thereto ap roxiam crossing and secured, to

mately throughout the lengths thereo substant-ially ast escribed.

.2. in combination; in a ventilated fruitshipping crate, end heads, a bottom and sides composed of spaced lon' 'tudina l slatssecured to said end heads, attens secured to and extending across the slats and arranged at the outer faces thereof, each batten formed with transverse cuts across its inner side and extending thcgreater-portion of the distance through the batten, each bat-ten bent at said cuts to extend from the crate-bottom u wardly along the sides of the crate, the walls of cach'cut abutting against; each other to form a n'iitor-joint,and wires secured to the battens andextending longitudinally thereof and bridging said 3oints, substantially as described.

3. A shipping-crate comprising endheads, and a bottom and sides lapping and sectircd to the edges of said and heads, said bottom extendingtransversely across tho-bottom end upwardly across the sides and having tapered cuts extending; across the same forming miter-joints at the junctions between the sides and bottom and a Wire secured longitudinniiy to the batten and bridging said joints, subs-1 initially as described.

t. As an article of manufacture, a fiat sheet or series oi slats adapted to be bent around and secured to crate ends to form the bottom and sides thereof and consisting of a series of separated or spaced longitudinal shits, and several battens extending across and secured to the outer faces of said slats,

each batten at its inner face, between certain slats, having transverse flaring cuts extendin the greater portion of the distance throug1 the batten, and longitudinal wires secured along the outer faces of the battens ap I'OXiinetely throughout the lengths thereo substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN SHELLEN BERGER. Witnesses:

Gino. L. BROWN, C. S. SPARKS. 

